(1.) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cordierite honeycomb structural catalyst carriers. More particularly, the invention relates to low thermal expansion honeycomb structural bodies which have excellent coatability, that is, capability of coating a material of a high specific surface area and a catalyst thereon, and which are used as carriers for catalysts to purify waste gases from automobiles.
(2.) Related Art Statement
In general, honeycomb structural catalysts used for the purification of waste gases from automobiles are produced by coating a material of a high specific surface area, such as activated alumina and a catalytic metal such as platinum on surfaces of low thermal expansion cordierite honeycomb structural catalyst carriers of a monolithic structure.
The coatability for a material of a high specific surface area and a catalyst is an important characteristic required for cordierite honeycomb structural catalyst carriers. In order to attain such an important characteristic, porosity has been required for the cordierite honeycomb structural bodies from the standpoint of mass productivity of cordierite honeycomb structural catalysts.
On the other hand, thermal shock resistance is also another important characteristic required for the above-mentioned honeycomb structural catalysts. Thus, the honeycomb structural catalysts are required to have thermal shock resistance high enough to withstand heat stress which is caused by temperature differentials occurring inside the honeycomb structural catalysts when being subjected to temperature changes in rapid heat generation due to catalytic reaction of unburnt hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide contained in a waste gas, and in rapid heating or rapid cooling during engine starting or stopping, respectively.
It is found that the thermal shock resistance is represented by a tolerable difference in temperature during rapid heating and rapid cooling and that the tolerable temperature difference is inversely proportional to a coefficient of thermal expansion among the characteristics of honeycomb structural bodies. Thus, the smaller the coefficient of thermal expansion, the larger the tolerable temperature difference. This is the biggest reason why low thermal expansion cordierite is used as ceramic honeycomb structural catalyst carriers for honeycomb structural catalysts.
It is conventionally known that cordierite ceramics exhibit low thermal expansion. For instance, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,885,977 (Japanese patent application Laid-open No. 50-75,611), oriented cordierite ceramics are known, in which a coefficient of thermal expansion is smaller than 1.1.times.10.sup.-7 (1/.degree. C.) in a temperature range from 25.degree. C. to 1,000.degree. C. in at least one direction. The 1977 patent describes that the orientation is caused by planar orientation due to plating clay or delaminated clay of kaolin or the like.
Further, Japanese patent application Laid-open No. 53-82,822 discloses that cordierite exhibits extremely low thermal expansion when a magnesia-source material such as talc is used in a limited coarse grain range of from 10 to 50 .mu.m.
However, since a high specific surface area-possessing material having a far greater coefficient of thermal expansion as compared with cordierite, such as activated alumina, is carried onto the surface of a low thermal expansion cordierite material in the case of honeycomb structural catalysts, thermal shock resistance of the honeycomb structural catalyst cannot be improved merely by lowering the coefficient of thermal expansion of the cordierite honeycomb structural carriers. That is, there has been demanded a technique by which an increase in the thermal expansion of the cordierite honeycomb structural bodies, when such a material having a high specific surface area is carried thereon, is suppressed to as low as possible.
In order to increase porosity of cordierite honeycomb structural carriers, enhance coatability for a material of a high specific surface and a catalyst, and improve thermal shock resistance of the carriers, even when coated, the following techniques have been proposed.
(1) U.S. Pat. No. 3,950,175 (Japanese patent application Laid-open No. 50-75,612) discloses that cordierite based porous ceramic materials in which at least 20% of open pores are given a diameter of more than 10 .mu.m through replacing a part or the whole part of talc or clay in starting materials by pyrophyllite, kyanite, quartz, silica such as fused silica, or a silica-alumina source material.
(2) Japanese patent publication No. 51-44,913 discloses that a ceramic powder is deposited onto surfaces of thin walls of a honeycomb structural body made of a ceramic material, which is fired. Thereby, a surface layer in which the total volume of pores having a pore diameter of not less than 5 .mu.m is not less than 0.1 cm.sup.3 /g is formed to improve coatability for activated alumina and a catalyst.
(3) Japanese patent application Laid-open No. 58-14,950 discloses that when activated alumina as a high specific surface area-possessing material is to be coated onto a cordierite honeycomb structural body, an organic material such as methyl cellulose is precoated so that the activated alumina may enter microcracks in the cordierite honeycomb structural body to improve thermal shock resistance of a resulting honeycomb structural catalyst.
However, the above techniques (1) to (3) have the following drawbacks.
In the technique (1), it was found that a high specific surface area-possessing material such as activated alumina having a high coefficient of thermal expansion is likely to enter pores having a pore diameter of not less than 10 .mu.m and that the greater the volumetric rate of the pores of not less than 10 .mu.m, the more the thermal shock resistance of the honeycomb structural catalyst deteriorates. That is, pores of not less than 10 .mu.m damage thermal shock resistance of the honeycomb structural body after it is coated.
The technique (2) unfavorably require a step of depositing the ceramic powder onto the surfaces of the honeycomb structural body. Thus, cost increases to a large extent. Further, fine pores of from 0.5 to 5 .mu.m are difficult to form unlike in the present invention.
In the technique (3), adhesion between the high specific surface area-possessing material such as activated alumina and the cordierite honeycomb structural carrier becomes detrimental so that the coated layer is likely to peel. Further, the number of steps for coating increases to greatly raise the cost.
Under the circumstances, cordierite honeycomb structural catalyst carriers which simultaneously meet excellent coatability for a material of a high specific surface area and a catalyst thereon and improved thermal shock resistance of cordierite honeycomb structural catalysts with coated layers have earnestly been demanded.